Medical students enter medical school with the goal of becoming well-rounded physicians. Much of the development toward that aim is done in the clinical arena. But the best physicians are not simply encyclopedias of medical knowledge.
Leadership is a key area of medical student development. Growing as a leader is often done outside formal curriculum of medical school and accomplished through extracurricular activities. Leadership experiences can also be a key factor in helping a medical student land a residency position when the time comes.
Medical students have a place in shaping the future of medicine through the AMA. For medical students looking to hone their leadership skills, the AMA offers the chance to distinguish yourself through more than 1,000 leadership opportunities and skill building through online training modules, project-based learning and more.
A faculty member and current attending physician offered some valuable perspective on how medical students can find leadership opportunities that allow them to grow. Here are some of their key insights.
Start small
The first year of medical school, in particular, can be daunting from a coursework perspective. Because of that, overcommitting to any extracurricular activity is a potential misstep.
Michael Kavan, PhD, is associate dean for student affairs at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. He advised M1s and M2s to start gaining leadership experience through organizations on campus.
“One easy way to get involved with leadership early in medical school is to seek out lower-level student government positions,” Kavan said. “It doesn't have to be a vice president or president position. Instead, students could gain valuable leadership experience by becoming a class representative for the school’s advancement or promotions committee; still an important role, but requiring a more limited time commitment.”
The AMA Medical Student Leadership Learning Series offers practical education to help medical students lead effectively. These 20-minute, interactive modules offer advice, realistic scenarios and printable resources to help medical students become skilled in core competencies of leadership. This series is an AMA members-only resource.
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Consider your interest
If you have an idea of which physician specialty you might pursue, specialty interest groups are an avenue that can help a student gain knowledge and leadership experience in tandem.
“If you have interest in a particular area, a specialty interest group is a good option,” Kavan said. “I wouldn’t start out running for president or anything, but a position like treasurer or secretary provides good leadership experience and specialty exposure.”
One option for specialty-specific leadership is to look for medical student leadership positions in a specialty society.
“For different specialty societies, my experience has been there is always room for medical students,” said Charles Lopresto, DO, a hospitalist in New York City.
Dive deeper:
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Look to lead through service
Community service is a major selling point for medical students looking to distinguish themselves with residency programs and it has much crossover with leadership. Medical schools have student-run community service organizations that help connect students with opportunities in the community. Working as a chair or vice chair of that type of organization is one option. Another is to pursue a leadership role at a student-run clinic.
“As a medical student, I did a lot of work in the community because the student-led clubs and organizations made those opportunities possible for me,” said Dr. Lopresto, an AMA member. “Taking a leadership role in those types of community service activities shows you have an interest in the public health of your community, and residency programs will notice.”
Dive deeper:
- A medical student leader’s advice: Listen first, act second
- What you need to know to get started as a medical student leader
Medical student leadership series
Member exclusive: Develop the leadership skills you need in medical school with five, 20-minute interactive modules.
Look to organized medicine
Getting involved in organized medicine with physician organizations such as the AMA can start with a leadership role in your campus chapter and ladder up to more opportunity from there.
Dr. Lopresto served as chapter president for his medical school’s chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association. From there, he was elected to the organization’s board of directors where he served as national research director for two years.
You can also look beyond campus for local leadership opportunities.
“Look for leadership opportunities at the county medical societies, state medical societies and of course at the American Medical Association,” Dr. Lopresto said. “You would be surprised to know that many of the medical student positions at these organizations go unfilled, especially at the state and national levels.”
“Being excited by the opportunities to advance my career in both the medical policy and research avenues at an early time in my medical education was critical for me deciding to continue to be involved in these organizations as an attending. And it's been very rewarding to remain involved and know that I can make a difference.”
Dive deeper:
The AMA Advocacy in Action Workshop, Sept. 30–Oct. 2, is an opportunity for medical students to receive virtual grassroots advocacy skills training that will equip them to become effective advocates and leaders in medicine. Learn more and register now.
